Silent Screams: Tragic Twilight
by Aria Chiba
Summary: Part 1 of Silent Screams. Ami and Ryou, for better of for worse forever? Life isn't all fun and games, so don't go looking for a happy ending.


The Snow Covered Cliffs  
By Aria Chiba  
PG-13  
http://sailormercuryshrine.freeservers.com  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
***IMPORTANT***  
  
I've had so many people want me to continue  
Yesterday's Gone. I probally will   
continue it, but before that I decided  
to write one on what happened in the   
beginning of Yesterday's Gone. This is  
about... 6 months before it, perhaps  
it will clear up some questions about  
the end of Yesterday's Gone. So if you  
havn't read Yesterday's Gone, read this one  
first to stay chronological.  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
"Your life lies before you like fresh-fallen   
snow. Be careful where you walk, for every   
step will show."  
- Unknown  
  
Oh, and, in case any of you were wondering,   
I don't own Sailor Moon. Our dear Naoko   
does, bless her heart.  
  
  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{-- ----}---}---@  
  
  
  
She didn't know why she always seemed to be   
drawn to him. Sure, they were friends and   
all, but lately... things have been   
different. Is this true love she's feeling?   
Maybe it was because he was her first kiss,   
her first true boyfriend. He had   
come back from being gone for just over a   
year, and gods how he'd changed. She didn't   
think she'd ever seen anyone more beautiful   
then Ryou. His chocolate brown eyes and hair,   
his short, cute brushed back hairstyle.   
She had his face memorized, from his cute   
little nose, his full lips, the little wisp   
of hair that won't stay back, his little dent   
in his forehead, and those shining eyes,   
which always seem to be staring into her eyes.   
He had a handsome, brand new musclular frame.  
He's closing in on 6 feet... gods she wished  
those arms were around her, holding her close,  
so she could snuggle into him...  
  
She shrugged off the light snow coming down   
around her, and continued walking up the   
steep slope. Perhaps it was only a fantasy,   
and for that matter, a fantasy that she was   
thourouly embarrased about, but she couldn't   
stop it. He was the light in her life, if   
only she could tell him that. She always had  
such problems with words.  
  
They were both in their second year of Med   
School at the age of 19. Because they both   
aimed to be pediatritions, they shared many   
of the same classes, and ended up studying   
together often. That's when they started   
getting close, when they were alone together   
in his flat.  
  
She could clearly remember the first night   
she came. Her whole body warmed at the memory   
of it, and she sighed as she was overcome   
with the memory.  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
One particularly cold night, when the wind   
blew so hard the windows seemed to be on a   
constant vibration, Ami and Ryou were at his   
flat. They had the CD player blasting   
classical tunes to cover up the vicious storm   
that had popped up during the middle of their   
study session. The fireplace was lit and they   
were sprawled out in front of it on the floor   
in diagonals.  
  
They were studying the children's skeletal   
system for a major exam scheduled for 9:30 the   
next morning, and they both had had their   
noses stuck in the books for quite some time,   
neither one of them wanting to discuss the   
issue of the storm and of where Ami was to   
sleep that night. She, of course, could not   
return home that night, she would be blown   
away with her slight frame.  
  
She glanced up from her book to study him,   
laying there, his head in his hands, his eyes   
intent on his book. No, wait, he wasn't reading   
the text, his eyes seemed glazed over, as if   
he was daydreaming. That was completly unlike   
him! Unless he was thinking of... then suddenly,  
as if he could feel her eyes on him, he looked   
up at her, his gaze intent.  
  
"Ami-chan, I have a confession to make." He   
whispered, shutting his book and inching a bit   
closer to her. His breathing seemed to increase   
as he gazed at her nervously.  
  
She carefully shut her book and placed it next   
to the rocking chair on her left. Then she let   
her eyes rest on Ryo again, taking a deep   
breath. "Yes?" she murmured, almost inaudibly.   
  
He closed his eyes for a moment, biting his   
lip. Carefully, he began to speak again. "I   
knew there was going to be a storm tonight. I   
knew it, and also knew that there would be no   
way for you to get home. I also knew that   
because of the storm, our proffessor will lose his   
electricty and won't wake up in time for class.   
And yet... I still had you come over." One eye   
peaked out to watch her reaction.  
  
She quickly went from shocked, to unsure and   
confused. Why would he do that? Unless... he   
just wanted to be with her? Could he possibly   
have feelings for her?  
  
The moments began to drag out, they each layed   
there staring at each other, fighting   
internally to make the first move, to just   
*say* something. He hovered so close to her,   
he could easily make the distance between their  
lips nothing, but he held back, knowing that   
she wasn't ready for something so bold as that.  
  
Her heart was beating like crazy. Was he going   
to do something, say something? She felt a dull   
ache sweeping over her body, yearning for   
something she wasn't quite sure of. She had   
never felt like this, she was too busy with her   
studies to pay attention to physical emotions  
like these. Had she been missing out on   
something all this time?  
  
Finally, Ryou couldn't take it any longer. He   
got up and offered his hand to Ami. She took   
it nervously, and drew herself up. He placed  
his hands on her waist tenderly, watching for  
any sign from Ami to stop. She offered him none,  
so he then slipped his arms around her back   
and gently drew her into a hug. She placed her  
arms around his neck, as she had done so many  
times before to people, a hug was something   
that she gave readily.  
  
But never had she been so close to someone like   
this. His arms slowly tightened around her,   
and she soon found herself pressed against his   
body, like she was in her dreams. Could he   
have... no, he assured her long ago that  
he couldn't read minds, and she knew he   
wouldn't lie. Perhaps he just knew it... in   
his heart.  
  
She relaxed in his embrace, allowing feelings   
to overwhelm her. She wasn't sure how to   
respond quite to this, but she knew that he   
would guide her. One of his hands rubbed her   
back gently, and she could feel his breath   
beside her ear. All sounds, the blaring music,  
the roaring wind, the crackling fireplace,   
faded out but the sound of his breath and the  
beating of her heart.   
  
She felt his chest inflate as he sighed and   
gently released her from his embrace. One   
hand remained on her waist while the other   
traveled up to her face, tracing it with one   
finger. His finger travled to her nose, and he   
whispered, "Nose."   
  
A smile lit up her face at the prospect of the   
little game. She giggled as his finger traced   
down her cheek to her chin, up again to her   
forehead and across her eyelids and she   
correctly identified all the features. Then   
his finger came down to her lips. "Mouth," she   
whispered, question in her eyes. He smiled, and   
moved his finger so it was clearly resting on   
just one lip. She took a deep breath, and said,   
"lips."   
  
He smiled knowingly, and brought his finger   
down to her chin, proping it up better so he   
could see directly into her face. The sweet   
and tender love that shone in his face would   
be enough to make any women swoon, and   
unnessisarily so for such an inexperienced   
girl like Ami.  
  
Then the world became a blur as his lips   
decended upon hers. Such feelings flew through   
her as never before. His kiss was gentle and   
deep, slowly letting her get used to the   
feeling as he carefuly and unnoticedly brought   
her down to the ground and wrapped her in   
his arms as they lay in front of the fireplace.   
  
She felt herself becoming increasingly dizzy  
with pleasure with each passing moment. She lost   
all sense of time and place, and knew only of   
the kiss, which felt so right, as if it was   
destined.  
  
Finally there lips seperated and they lay   
there, for hours listening to the music of   
hearts.   
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
That was about 6 months ago, and ever since   
then, they've been doing everything together...   
well, for the most part. He was the highlight   
of her life though. Things had been getting   
pretty tough. Her mother had developed breast   
cancer, and her good friend, Kunitachi, who   
tended to the plants and flowers in Juuban   
Park, and many others, had died of a heart   
attack.  
  
The scouts had been just kind of hanging in   
there, spreading out in their own separate  
ways. She hadn't heard from Mina-chan or  
Mako-chan since she had announced her pregancy.   
Usa and Rei-chan both lived in the area, but   
both were often busy with their own lives and  
studies. So, as with many friends, they had  
grown somewhat apart.  
  
As for the outer scouts, they had disappeared   
soon after the fight with Galexia. They must   
have decided that they were no longer needed,   
and just ran from the memories. Maybe someday,   
she would track them down, but not until   
things began to setle down more here.  
  
So life wasn't going quite as wonderful as one   
would have thought, with all the fighting   
seemingly over, at least until the negaverse   
attacked in the future, as they knew they   
would. And they had the exact protection spell   
written out so Chibi-Usa could still become a   
scout and yet have everyone protected.  
  
She sighed. It was a Saturday afternoon and   
Ryou was working. She wasn't quite in the   
greatest of moods, everything was getting to   
her, so she was hiking up one of the less   
traveled parts of Juuban Park, up to the   
cliffs. It was early December, and the snow   
already covered the ground. She knew she   
wouldn't encounter anyone, it was a hard hike   
without the snow, perfect for a depressed   
ex-senshi.  
  
She paused to catch her breath on the steep   
incline. Her breaths were coming out in white   
clouds in the cold air. But she knew the top   
would be worth it. She reached in her backpack   
and drew out a thermous filled with hot cocoa.   
The heat quickly warmed her mitten-clad hands,   
and she swiftly took off the cap and sipped   
it cautiously. The hot liquid seeped down,   
warming her from the inside out. There was   
nothing like a hot drink on a cold day.  
  
She replaced the cap and sadly placed it back   
in her pack, not wanting the cold air to cool   
it. Pulling it back on, she took a deep breath   
and continued her path to the top. She knew   
from past trips that she was about 3 quarters  
of the way there.  
  
She chuckled, remembering the last time she   
had come up here, about 3 weeks ago. The snow   
hadn't fallen yet, but it was still extremly   
cold. She and Ryou had made the trek.  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
"Eek! Careful! It's steep, I'll fall!" She   
cried out in alarm.  
  
He chuckled, coming up behind her and wrapping   
his arms around her. "I'll be sure to catch   
you then."  
  
"Ryou-baka, you're so mean to me! Let me go!"   
She cried out merrily, not really wanting for   
him to let go, she was the expert in reverse   
phsychology.  
  
And just as she expected, he tightened his   
arms in defiance. "Baka, huh? I'll show you   
bak--" he started out, but was quickly   
silenced as he found himself flying through   
the air and landing softly on the ground with   
Ami kneeling beside him.  
  
"Trying to show me up?" She asked, giggling   
lightly before he snaked his arms up and   
pulled her down for a deep kiss. She came up   
gasping and mock pouted. "You just can't let   
me win, can you?"  
  
"Nope!" he smiled. "You're gonna pay for that,   
my little contortionist." He got up and placed   
her in his arms. "We're almost there, I'll   
carry you, don't worry babe."  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
She sighed happily as she passed that place.   
She indeed was almost there. She pressed on,   
ignoring the cold wind around her. Just up   
ahead was the clearing.  
  
She slowed down as she reached the final   
obstacle, a bunch of large rocks that she had   
to scale. She placed her hands on first rock   
and pulled herself up. She found herself   
slipping slightly, but there was a branch  
there for her to grab.  
  
She pulled herself carefully up, happy for  
the grips on her gloves. She reached up  
for the ledge and easily swung her body  
up. She quickly stood up to brush off her  
snowpants when she was hit by a quick  
harsh wind...  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
"OH MY GOD IT'S SO COLD!" Ami cried out in   
suprise as she and Ryo jumped out of the car.  
  
"Oh Gods Ami, I'm so sorry! I didn't see that   
ice coming at all! Can you see where we're   
stuck? Did you see any houses nearby?" Ryou  
cried out, trying to keep himself in check.   
He didn't want to lose himself in front of   
Ami.  
  
Ami leaned against the car, pulling her scarf  
tightly to her face. It was hard to think in  
the wind, it was coming in gust up to 45 mphs.  
They were on their way out to his parents   
house for a surprise get-together they were  
giving them on their aniversary. Dinner and   
everything. But no one knew that they were  
headed out there, and they lived in the   
middle of nowhere. The last house would have  
been miles away.  
  
"Not for miles, I think," She sighed, getting  
down to look at the car. It was a low car,  
and they were in it deep.  
  
He groaned, also seeing the situation. "We'll   
be able to dig the wheels out, but we'll never  
get the snow from under the car out. It's so  
compact, and it would take hours. It would be  
dangerous to stay in this wind for so long."  
  
Ami nodded, hugging her arms together. "So,  
what are we going to do?"  
  
He shook his head, lost in thought. "Let's...  
just... well, for now, let's get into the  
car. It's too cold out here."  
  
She nodded and hopped into the car. He sighed.  
"God, I never saw this even coming! And I'm  
not getting anything now! I don't even know  
what's going to happen! And to top it all off,  
I ran out of minutes on my phone the other  
day! We can't even call!"  
  
She turned to him and shushed him, bringing  
him into a hug. "Don't blame yourself! Perhaps  
it was meant to happen this way, a little bit  
of adventure, you know. Right now, the way  
I see it is, it's you and me, all alone, in a   
car, in the middle of nowhere. We've got  
blankets, the car heater, and music. Why can't  
we just take advantage of the situation?"  
  
He smiled. Ever since that first night, she  
had become so open. He watched as she turned  
her eyes innocently twoards the backseat, and  
he found himself being filled with such love  
for his little angel. He motioned for her  
to jump in the back, and turned to crack a   
window.  
  
She looked at him quizically for a second,   
then realized it was so they weren't gased  
by carbon monoxide. Good thing he thought of  
that, that wouldn't have been a good thing!  
  
He climbed in back next to her, and slid in  
close beside her. She smiled and slipped her  
hands around his waist. "So now..." she  
whispered, "there's nothing else we can do  
here but to wait for a car or for the wind to  
die down. We could talk about school... or  
perhaps we could play school..."  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
She fell hard to the ground, trying to keep  
her balance. But as she hit she quickly   
rolled, trying to keep the impact off her   
stomach. She spun off onto her back as she  
carefully held her stomach with affection.  
Her three month old baby was in there.  
  
The winds died and she carefully got herself  
back up. The peak was pretty flat, with some  
boulders on one end. She started over to them,  
shrugging off her backpack. She lifted herself  
up on them, and closed her eyes in anticipation  
of the view.   
  
Suddenly she found a pair of very familiar  
lips press against her. She leaned in as  
she murmured, "Oh Ryou..."  
  
After some time they separated and he drew   
her into his lap as she gazed out into the   
horizon. The sun was beginning to set, and  
a few stars glittered behind them. The lights  
of Tokyo were starting to turn on, and the  
ocean glittered to their right. It was so  
beautiful... but perhaps the most amazing   
part of it was the view to her left, in that  
amazing face.  
  
He grinned back at her and placed a hand on  
her belly. "Mrs. Urawa Ryou..." he sighed for  
the thousandth time and Ami knew what was   
about to come, so she immedieatly placed her  
hand on his lips. "Hai, I do want to become  
Mrs. Urawa Ryou. There isn't anything in the  
world that could make me more happy, well,   
except maybe this little babe here. And iie,  
I don't have any regrets to becoming pregant  
and having this baby before we're married.  
I wouldn't trade this little bundle for   
anything in the world."  
  
He sighed happily, placing his forehead on  
hers. "Thank you, my tenshi. You can't believe  
how much better I feel each time I hear those  
words. Ashiteru."  
  
They spent an hour like that, sitting on the   
boulder, just staring at the sites and at   
each other. Neither of them wanted to leave,  
but it kept growing increasingly cold, so  
finally they stood and Ryou helped her off  
their special little area, and they headed  
down the hill. They were quite a bit quieter  
than they were on most trips. They couldn't  
kid around as much as they once would, not  
with Ami expecting. So they just kind of talked  
on their way.  
  
"So, have you decided whether or not you want  
to know if it's boy or girl?" Ryou asked,   
placing his arm around her waist.  
  
Ami sighed. That was something that was  
constantly on her mind. She did have a special  
interest in knowing whether or not it would   
become her future sailor senshi. Ryou knew,  
his clarovoyance showed him.  
  
"Ok, so tell me. Will our child be called  
Akira or Yukiko?" He stopped, and placed  
both hands on her waist. He drew her as close  
to him as he possibly could and whispered  
gently into her ear, "Yukiko."  
  
A look of pure joy radiated from her face as  
she increased her grip around Ryou and   
murmured into his chest, "A girl... oh Ryou,  
I'm so happy!"  
  
"Not as happy as I am, my sweet Ami. I'm the  
luckiest man in the world." After a quick hug  
and a light kiss, they slowly started walking  
down the hill again, both of them lost in  
their thoughts.  
  
'How could life go so quickly from being   
miserable to being so wonderful. Oh I'm so   
glad... oh Yukiko...' Ami thought happily  
to herself.  
  
Ryou on the other hand, had other thoughts   
running through his head. 'Oh, God, why do I  
keep getting these premonitions of such fear.  
Should I warn Ami? Certainly not now, with  
her mind on Yukiko. Besides, I don't want to  
worry her about something that could turn out  
to be nothing. Oh, I just wish I could pin-  
point the source!'  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
The months passed quickly for the two young  
lovers. The end of May came, and college let  
out. Yukiko was due in about two weeks, and  
everything was going perfect with the   
pregancy. The girls were going to throw her  
a baby shower the night after the final day  
of the semester. Minako was flying in from  
her acting career in England, and Makoto was  
getting a lift from her latest boyfriend  
Botan, because she had broken her leg earlier  
on in the month.  
  
Plus, it was almost a triple shower. Usagi  
was five months pregnant with Chibi-Usa and   
Rei was three months with her son Keita.  
  
She laughed cheerfully as Ryou drove her over  
to Furuhata Motoki's new restaurnt, where  
the shower was going to be held. She was so  
happy, so many of her friends were going to  
be there.   
  
Ryou looked over at his soon to be wife with  
loving eyes. She had been looking forward to  
this night for such a long time. And they even  
had a surprise for her. They had tracked down  
Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru, and they  
were all going to be at the party tonight.  
Was she going to be thrilled! He was having  
a hard time keeping it a secret. But they were  
almost there.  
  
Ami was looking out the side window, watching  
for the restaurant. It was late, and the   
lights of Tokyo looked so beautiful. She   
smiled and placed her hands on her immensly   
large belly. "Soon, Yukiko, soon you will see  
Earth and all it's beauty."  
  
They hit a red light and Ryou reached his hand  
over to place it over Ami's. "You will make  
such a wonderful mama to our little angel."   
She laughed. "Well, I think you'll make a   
much better papa. Get going! The light turned  
green!"   
  
He smiled and started up again, and as Ami   
watched out the side window, she found herself  
face to face with fast approaching headlights.  
"RYOU!" was all she was able to scream out   
before the car crashed into theirs, sending  
them both into an unconciousness.  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
Ami awoke in a dark room, her head and entire  
body in intense pain. She kept her eyes   
clenched shut, and heard two faraway voices,  
and she picked up bits and pieces of their  
conversation.  
  
"...drunk driver... yeah, he ran a red light  
...all killed...Mr. Urawa-san...critical  
condition...the lady should be fine...the  
baby was lost..."  
  
At those last words, Ami fell back into her  
sleep, a tear running down her cheek.  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
Her dreams were dark, in her faraway corner,  
Afraid of the words she had heard.  
  
She couldn't believe it, even the thought,  
But it echoed in her head, those awful words.  
  
Her screams rang out into the night,  
Stinging tears rolled down her face.  
  
She didn't have the strenght to fight,  
And reached out for gentle arms to embrace.  
  
But all that greeted her was cold air,  
Her safe happy world, shattered.  
  
Now she cries, alone,  
Thinking nobody cares.  
  
All she has now are lonely dreams.  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
E-mail me at AriaChiba@hotmail.com and visit  
my website!   
http://sailormercuryshrine.freeservers.com  
  
And all you impatient readers out there, the  
conclusion to The Realization is close at hand  
and so is rest of the chapters of Anxious  
Hearts. Just remind me not to take up any more  
stuff, alright... O.o wait! How can I possibly  
concentrate on one thing without having 70  
other projects? He he he, watch out for   
Aria 'Yukiko' Chiba's infiltration. It will  
soon take over all your lives! Mwaa haa haa!   
(Suddenly, Aria's dog Jedite attacks at the  
weird laughter)...maybe I'll stick with the  
stories at hand...   
  
JA! ARIGATO MINNA! AISHITERU!  
  
@---{---{---- --}--{@}--{--- ----}---}---@  
  
  



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